ADHD Aha!

• She broke the silence on ADHD shame in women (Sari Solden’s story)

  Sari Solden is a psychotherapist, author, and a true trailblazer for women with ADHD. In this episode, she talks about discovering her own ADHD while helping shape the growing field of adult ADHD in the 1990s. She shares openly about her struggles with shame, working memory, and the pressure of trying to meet society’s expectations of what a woman “should” be. She also reflects on lessons learned from the many women she has worked with over the years.Sari takes us behind the scenes of her early meetings with other ADHD experts at a time when adult ADHD was just starting to be recognized. She’s the author of several books, including “Women with Attention Deficit Disorder,” which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Through her pioneering work, Sari gave voice to countless women whose struggles were long misunderstood or overlooked.Related resourcesHear Sari on “Climbing the Walls,” our podcast about the rise of ADHD diagnoses in womenA deeper dive on ADHD and shameWhat is working memory?For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.  Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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• An unexpected ADHD diagnosis following her daughter’s traumatic birth (Erica Shoemate’s story)

  When Erica Shoemate gave birth to her daughter Nia, she was told Nia wouldn’t survive. But today, Nia is 7 years old — and that traumatic birth became a turning point in Erica’s life. Erica shares how her postpartum experience led to diagnoses of anxiety and PTSD, and eventually ADHD. A former national security analyst turned maternal health strategist and policy advocate, Erica reflects on the layered stigma of mental health in the Black community. She also talks with Laura about ADHD and hormones. And she shares the comment her husband made that sparked her ADHD evaluation.Related resourcesErica’s website, www.ericalshoemate.comA guide to ADHD and hormonesFrom the Hyperfocus podcast: Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression? ADHD and pregnancyTimestamps(00:00) Intro (02:09) How Erica’s pregnancy journey led to her ADHD diagnosis (10:07) What Erica’s diagnosis has taught her about herself(16:10) Why Erica speaks openly about her ADHD diagnosis (21:26) Erica’s maternal health advocacy workFor a transcript and more resources, visit the “ADHD Aha!” show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.  Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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• How do you make invisible struggles visible? (Kate Hammer’s story)

  It’s one thing to wonder if you have ADHD. It’s another to read how your loved ones see it in you. Host Laura Key talks with writer, director, and performer Kate Hammer, who was born in Canada and now lives in Scotland. Kate shares her experience navigating the U.K.’s ADHD evaluation process, which includes personal letters from family and friends, and the complex emotions it brought up. She also discusses her short film, Bear, a surreal, funny, and poignant look at how ADHD can shadow your every move. In the film, a woman on her way to a job interview is followed by a bumbling bear — clumsy, loud, and impossible to ignore. The Bear represents ADHD in all its disruptive, intrusive glory. Kate talks about why she chose to visualize ADHD this way, how humor helps her process, and what it means to turn something invisible into something you can’t ignore.Related resourcesKate’s short film Bear trailerKate’s full short film Bear (Password: BossJude)Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:03) The UK ADHD evaluation process(07:26) What ADHD traits cause Kate shame and guilt? (08:44) Kate’s short film Bear(16:58) Validating the challenges of ADHD through her short film(21:27) Kate’s ADHD aha! moment(s)(23:05) Outro and creditsWe love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.  Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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• Ready, fire, aim! ADHD, creativity, and magic tricks (John Michael Hinton’s story)

  Magician and speaker John Michael Hinton grew up full of energy. As a kid, he lived abroad and stood out for his high energy. His parents noticed early on that caffeine seemed to calm him down, a clue that something deeper might be going on.John Michael — who performs a few magic tricks in the episode! — talks with host Laura Key about how things fell apart academically in his freshman year of high school, leading to a 1.7 GPA. An ADHD diagnosis helped him get the support he needed. The biggest turning point came thanks to a mentor who encouraged him to stop living in “Ready, FIRE, Aim” mode and start thinking “Ready, AIM, Fire.” Now a husband and father of three (all with ADHD, too), John Michael explains how ADHD fuels his creativity, curiosity, and performance style.Related resourcesJohn Michael’s website, www.johnmichaelhinton.comADHD and creativity ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:01) Growing up undiagnosed while moving around internationally, and being diagnosed in the states as a teenager(06:19) College, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and creativity(09:01) Magic trick break #1(11:15) ADHD and performing magic on stage(13:15) Being remembered as the “weird kid” and using mentors to mature(16:12) “Ready, aim, fire” instead of “Ready, fire, aim”  (17:50) Magic trick break #2 (19:15) Incorporating ADHD into his magic acts(21:13) Home life with an entire ADHD family(22:42) A message to all the other “spazzes” out there(25:19) Outro and creditsFor a transcript and more resources, visit the “ADHD Aha!” show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.  Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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• Am I using ADHD as a crutch? (Jiyoung An’s story)

  For most of her life, Jiyoung An believed her struggles came down to laziness or lack of effort. Even after her ADHD diagnosis less than a year ago, she questioned whether she was just making excuses and using ADHD “as a crutch.”In this week’s episode, Jiyoung shares how her perspective has changed. She’s unlearning internalized shame and now sees her brain for what it truly is: different, not broken. Related resourcesWhat is growth mindset?What does thriving with ADHD actually look like?Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:46) What was happening before Jiyoung sought out an ADHD evaluation this year?(03:00) Jiyoung’s 3 different psychiatrists’ opinions(04:24) Falling into hustle culture before diagnosis, and being hard on herself(07:24) Jiyoung’s journey to accepting her ADHD label(11:07) How frustrating it can be to not have solutions to all of her ADHD challenges(13:08) Perfectionism and comparing yourself to others(16:50) Jiyoung’s experience growing up with undiagnosed ADHD(19:25) Noticing ADHD in her little sister(21:22) What ADHD traits Jiyoung struggles with the most(25:08) CreditsWe love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.  Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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